Live
by RockeTehFlash
Summary: Science is at an all-time high, bringing in new waves of technology. Consequently, however, there is very little left of freedom in the world. Egregious amounts of laws were put in place to dictate control. That is until the runners came along. Percabeth with other ships mixed in. M for cussing and wanting to tell the story in a more brutal manner.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****WELCOME TO MY NEW STORY! This is also an AU story, so if you don't like it, I'm sorry. But yea! This is going to be four to five books, each a little more daunting than the last. Nonetheless, on we start!**

**UNKNOWN**

Listen. I never wanted this life. It isn't a life of fame, or safety. It ain't a life of granjour or greatness. It's a life of danger, a life of not knowing what was gonna happen next. If you find yourself in my situation, you run, and run far. This isn't for everyone. That being said, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I was out of breath at this point. I had been running for what felt like hours, though it was probably only around 20 minutes. The streets of New York City had gotten cleaner since last year, but that's how it goes. Let me explain what's been happening in the great old US of A. Not too long ago, the laws tightened up. This meant that we could do very little in terms of freedom. Curfews at 6 at night, allowed back out at 6 in the morning, no soda, no this no that. We had to have ID's for everywhere we went. So, we were formed. Groups popped up all over, called Runners. We were your typical resistance, doing what we wanted, when we wanted. We stole to survive and had bunkers all over. Only rule? No murder. And so, our story commences.

"_On your six, Riptide_," I hear over my comms.

I turned around and saw two cops chasing after me. They had black hair, and were wearing blue jeans that had to be stretchy (because who can run in regular jeans that fast?), Blue Long sleeved shirts, and a thin bulletproof vest over the top of that.

Technology had really gotten far recently. We even had bullet proof paper! Well, maybe not, but we did have some crazy things. Contacts that could zoom in and take pictures, pens that turned into swords, watches that turn into shields, guns that don't run out of ammo, you name it, we probably had it… And I just stole about 3 of the things on my list, and one unmentioned item that I'm unsure of what it is. Not many knew of this technology, super low key and all, making it all the more valuable. Protection that can be carried at the size of a pen, but brandished at the size of a full-length short sword?

*BANG BANG*

And now they're shooting. Great.

*BANG BANG BANG*

They fired a few more pot shots while I was running, but they missed gladly. I turned a corner into an alley way, then climbed a fire escape. They immediately took notice and started climbing after me.

I got to the roof top and started bolting. I turn around briefly to see them still hot on my tail. We get about half way of the roof when I see a large glass window on the other side of a giant gap. I pick up speed until I get to the edge. I take a deep breath then jump… flying straight through the window, rolling as I land. I look behind me and see the two cops come to a sputtering stop.

"_Classy," _I hear, but shrug off.

They look at me angrily, but I just give them a small smirk, then salute them with two fingers. I walk slowly, now in the clear, going into a hidden entrance to the basement of a small hideout me and some friends made.

As I enter the small bunker, I pull my hood down, letting my black hair fall in front of my eyes in a onyx mess. I pull out my comms, letting them dangle on either side of my neck.

"Welcome back," I see the first of my pals sitting at the computers, "Could you have gone without having them shoot at you though?"

"Nah," I say, tossing him the bag off of my back, "that's not fun Leo."

Leo rolls his eyes. He turns around and starts shuffling through the bag. Leo is a tech master, and it's quite scary. He's shut down an entire block just because, and could tell you how any car or machine runs just by looking at it. In other words, he's a prodigy. He helps us make our tech, armour, and gear that we use. He had spiky ears, and a curly mess of hair on the top of his head. He was a funny guy once you start talking to him. Big flirt too.

"Looks like you made it back in one piece," Another voice chimes out. I turn around to see my best friend Piper. Me and Piper had been friends since we were born. Her father was a big-name actor, and I was born to a single mother living in a dingy apartment in New York. We shouldn't have met, but fate be damned. She was Native American and had a feather in her hair at all times. She had dark brown hair, dark skin, and these crazy kaleidoscope eyes.

We embrace in a hug and laugh a bit. The life we lived, we were never sure if we would always make it back, but we always did. We promised that we wouldn't die on solo missions. We would always be there for each other. We _had _to be there for each other. We were the only ones we could depend on.

"Finally, you're back," the last of my little rag tag group called. I turned around to see my buddy Grover walking towards me. Last year, I was on a run when I saw him getting the life kicked out of him in an alley way. Apparently, some guy at his Uni was angry with him. I got them off of him, and he's been following me since. I liked him, and frankly, he was a great medic. He put me and Piper back together more times than not.

"Don't sound too excited," I say with a small chuckle. Grover only grinned and clapped my back. I slip off the protective gear I wear, setting it on a nearby table, and take a deep breath. I pick up a remote and flick on the TV. Almost immediately, a news flash is on.

"_Infamous runner, Riptide, was out again tonight, stealing from local tech company, Malus Corp., taking nearly seven hundred thousand dollars' worth of technology." _Grover whistled in the background, earning a laugh from Piper. _"Law enforcement gave chase, but Riptide jumped through a window on the other side of a building gap. Either this man is tactical, or just plain lucky. We'll have more information at 7." _

I flick off the TV, then look at Leo. He has all the items laid out on the table, carefully looking at each piece. I pick up the pen and start inspecting it. Arguably the one piece I was looking forward to the most, I start trying to get it to extend, but don't get very far. _Or so I thought…_

I twisted a near invisible dial, and a needle poked out of the tip, getting me in the finger.

"Owe!" I saw aloud, looking at my finger. Grover comes over, looking at my finger, but Leo and Piper are staring directly at the pen, "It stabbed me!

"Hey, look at the pen."

"Screw the pen! That hurt!"

"No, really, look at it."

"Stupid Malus, making a faulty piece of sh-"

"Hey!" 

I look at Piper, and see her pointing to the pen. I give in and take a peek. What I see is shocking. The pen has lines running down it, lit up blue. The watch is lighting up the same. I put on the watch, feeling the same prick, but at a lesser pain. I grip the pen harder, and it fully extends into a shining bronze store. I tighten my hand into a fist on my other hand and the watch fully extended into a shield. I look at Leo, and he is just in awe. He looks at me, and smiles. Piper smirks, then punches me in the shoulder. Grover on the other hand, looks slightly worried.

"So what's next, Percy?"

I look at him with my sea-green eyes, and can't help but giving him the widest grin.

"Now," I say, closing both the sword and shield, "We have some fun."

**A/N: ****And that's it for this chapter! This story isn't going to be as long as Torn in terms of Chapters, but it should still entertain. I hope you all enjoy! R&R!**

**-Rocke**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****Yo! Welcome to chapter 2! This story is a little harder to write because it's so out there, almost anything can go, but I don't want to make it seem **_**too**_** out there, so I'm writing whatever comes to mind then constantly redacting some of it. On that note, please enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMA: PERCY JACKSON AIN'T MINE, A BOY CAN PRAY THO.**

**PERCY:**

"So what's that one do?" I asked Leo. One of the items we stole had actually stumped Leo. It was a small rectangle that was grey and seemingly made out of dark matter. It had no openings, no buttons, no way to know what it was, or did. Piper was leaning on the table, putting her chin on her hands. She looked bored, but her eyes were lit up like a Christmas tree. She was intrigued, but wouldn't let you know it.

"Honestly?" Leo said, picking it up, "I have no idea." Grover's eyes widened. He didn't like when Leo didn't understand something. Something about him being the smartest man he knows. I understood the concern, but I still think he was overreacting.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Grover asked shakily, "That's like saying you can't solve a Rubix cube!"

"Calm down, Goat Boy!" Leo said chucking a hacky sack at him, "I didn't say I wouldn't figure it out. I just can't right now. What I do know, however, is that there are at least 18 of these."

"How?"

"The box it came in says 1/18."

"Your hilarious."

"I try."

I chuckle at their bickering, then take a step back. I walk up to my laptop and start aimlessly looking through a secure website dedicated for runners. There were groups all over. Bangkok, Britain, LA, NY, everywhere you could imagine. I started looking through a list of items that most runners were pining after. Frankly, a lot of the things were pretty dope. Most wanted tech that would help while they were running. Retractable wing suit, night vision contacts, and camo suits. Reading what some people were after was definitely one of the fun parts of this job. It was like going into a toy store and seeing what other kids were looking at too, and deeming if you wanted it too.

I heard my laptop ping and see that I have a new notification. It was from a runner I had talked to a few times before.

_PineSparks: Yo, Kelp Head, I need a favor._

_Riptide: What is it Pinecone Face._

_PineSparks: There's a new prototype a company called Kronos is working on. _

_Riptide: Go on…_

_PineSparks: It's a silver circlet that is supposed to act as a full helmet. Uses magnets to absorb the kinetic energy to redirect anything coming at it. Only thing it can't stop is lightning. _

_Riptide: Fancy. Why do you need me?_

_PineSparks: Because, dear runner, you have McShizzle, and can get through virtually any security system. _

_Riptide: You right… Fine, I'm in._

_PineSparks: Sending details now. Message me when you get the agreed upon item. _

"LEO LET GO!"

"NO! IT'S MY MCDONALDS!"

I sighed and facepalmed. I closed my laptop and went to the group to see what was going on. Apparently, Leo had run to get McDonalds and Piper wanted some. Leo was not one to back down or give up food, though.

"Guys, come on."

"HELP ME PERCY! VIVA LA MY BELLY!" Piper yelled at me with a wicked smile on her face. I took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. I wanted to talk about the new run we had to do, but _noooo_, I had to deal with this.

"I WILL STAB YOU PIPER!" Leo screamed in her face. I could tell he wasn't _too_ mad, but he definitely just wanted his food.

"NO BALLS, YOU WON'T!"

I sigh then start walking to the door. It was getting late, and I still hadn't eaten. I was almost at the door when Grover put his hand on my shoulder. I turn to look at him and he still has his worried face on. I gave him a meek smile, but he didn't care.

"Be careful Perce," he told me, "That watch and pen are being looked for. If anyone see's them, you have to run."

"Yea, probably," I say with a chuckle. He didn't think it was funny. "Grover, come on, don't worry, I'm a tough son of a bitch. I'm not dying anytime soon."

"Yea, alright." This seemed to please him enough. He took his hand off of my shoulder and scampered off. I took this as my que, and walked out, make sure to lock the door behind me. Luckily, Sunday was the day that we were allowed to be out till 8, and I knew exactly what I was going to eat tonight.

**UNKNOWN**

I looked away from my PC screen to my clock, seeing that it was roughly 6:30 at night. I worked at a restricted job so I technically had no curfew, but I did like to be in before the technical limit. I rubbed my eyes to get them to moisten. Frankly, they were sore from staring at my monitor for so long. Gotta love work.

I picked up my bag, slipped my jacket on then walked out of my office. I locked the door behind me, and made it to the elevator. I was lowered onto the street, and seeing a diner across the street. It looked rather quaint, and somewhat relaxed. I walked across the street, making sure to check both ways, and seeing it clear as could be.

I opened the door and was flooded with a wave of warmth. It felt like I had just walked into a loving home, everything felt like it was done with love. In this day and age, it was shocking.

I found my way to a booth and sat down. It was by far the most comfortable I've been In a long time. A nice-looking lady started walking over, offering a warm smile. I smiled back tiredly.

"Welcome to Sally's, I'm Sally," she said kindly, handing me a menu, "How can I help you dear?"

"Can I start off with a coffee please?"

"Of course, I'll be back in a bit." She made her way back to the counter and started to brew a fresh pot, pushing the old one aside. I smiled to myself, appreciative of the kind gesture.

I look through the menu until I hear the bell above the door ring. I look up and see a 23 or so looking man walk in. He has long, spastic onyx hair, tan skin, and a dark blue sweater on. The sweater goes nicely with his dark jeans, and black and white shoes running shoes. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't help but feel drawn to him. He goes to the counter and starts chatting with Sally. She looks happy as can be. She hands him a cup of coffee, then points at me.

_Oh no…_

This mysterious man looks at me with deep, bright green eyes, and gives a toothy, lopsided grin. I smile back, trying to hide a faint blush.

"Hiya," he says in a deep voice, holding the cup of liquid gold out, "Sally wanted me to bring this to you."

"Thank you," I say kindly. I take the cup kindly, taking a sip.

"Coffee at 6:45 huh?" he askes with a playful smirk, "Someone's going to be up all night."

"Yea," I said with a small chuckle, "You caught me, I'm a workaholic."

"I could see it in those big grey eyes of yours."

"Oh, and what else do you see?"

"I see someone I want to get to know a little bit more about." He says with a confident grin. I'm not typically one to humor being hit on, but I admit, he was smooth. I lean back, folding my arms, but smiling.

"I'll admit, I'm intrigued by you," I say, taking another sip of coffee, "You walk in a few minutes after me, green eyes and all, never spoken to me before, and you want to get to know me?"

"Sounds about right," He says playing with a fork, "Blonde suits you by the way."

"Oh does it?" I ask, raising my eye brows, "Black does you well too."

"Oh why thank you," he says, brushing his hand through his hair, imitating a model. We both start laughing, and he even starts crying. When we calm down, Sally comes over and takes our orders. I got a steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables, and he got pancakes. Before Sally left, he winked at her, and she winked back. I was unsure as to why, but I felt like I set that aside.

"So," I start, putting the menu to the side, "What's your name?"

"Percy, Percy Jackson," he says grinning like a child.

"Oh, fancy," I say with a chuckle.

"Why thank you," he says with a grin, "It's short for something, but if I told you what it was, I'd have to kill you."

"Oh wow, so scary."

"No, but seriously, I don't like my full name, so I go by Percy for short."

"I understand," I say, feeling his pain, "My entire life, people have shortened my name, so I make sure people call me by my full name."

"Oh, and what would that full name be?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"More than anything in the world right now."

"My name is Annabeth."

What started as an innocent night between friends, coffee and dinner, would soon turn into something much bigger, and neither of us were ready for what life had in store for us…

**A/N:**** And that will do it for this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy! Read and Review! Thank you all so much for all the support on the last chapter!**

**ALSO, CHAPTER 8 OF TORN WILL BE COMING ON SUNDAY!**

**Take care!**

**~Rocke**


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